Conquest and Covenant

159All of this is under the oversight of an appointed servant of God and the elders, and in the presence of a holy and glorious God.

Nadab and Abihu were present (v. 1). They were Aaron’s two eldest sons who would have been the next high priests in the line. However, they died later under God’s judgment because of their unauthorized sacrifice (Lev 10:1-2; Num 3:4). In verse 2 Moses was alone. He was the chosen mediator between God and the Israelites. He represented the people before God. He went between a holy God and a sinful people. He was the only one permitted to draw near. In this, God taught His people to honor and respect His holiness.

We can only draw close to God and be in His presence if we come on His terms, in the way He has appointed—through an appointed mediator. Back then it was through Moses and the priests. Now it is only through Jesus Christ, the “one mediator between God and humanity” (1 Tim 2:5).

After God had set the terms for the covenant, the people affirmed the covenant (vv. 3, 7). They promised to do all the words He had said. Moses told all the people the “commands” and the “ordinances” that God had given. The “commands” likely refer to the Ten Commandments themselves (20:2-17). The “ordinances” were the laws that provided specific instruction, which followed the commandments (chs. 21-23). This, then, is the “covenant scroll” (24:7). After hearing the “commands” and “ordinances,” the people unanimously agreed to keep them—to be obedient. They even did this a second time, after Moses had written them down (v. 4) and read them aloud (v. 7). Thus they doubly confirmed the covenant with their current verbal promise in addition to the promise they had made in 19:8.

Why did he read it twice, and why did they promise to obey twice? The first time was so they could understand and accept it. They declared their intent. The second time was so they could promise to obey and confirm it. They took their vows. This is not foreign to us. We do the same thing in our wedding ceremonies. First, you declare your intent (“I will” or “I do”); second, you say your vows. In the case of the Israelites, their obedience did not last long. Moses stepped away for a few days and they immediately disobeyed.

Notice some other important components to this covenant process. Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. In ancient times, covenants were always written down. Unless they were written, they were not finalized. As we saw in our introduction to the book, this verse also confirms160 Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch. Another component was the building of an altar. After writing down the words, Moses came to build an altar, for the covenant was to be sealed with blood. The altar was used for burnt offerings and sacrificial peace offerings. With a burnt offering, the whole animal was consumed by fire. With a peace offering, the animal was not consumed by fire. Instead, meat was grilled and eaten after the blood had been drained. This is where the blood comes from in verses 6 and 8. The blood sprinkled on the altar was God’s blood, signifying that He was one party to the covenant. The portion of blood that Moses put in bowls was for sprinkling on the people, as a sign that they were recipients of the benefit the shed blood provided.

We are told in Hebrews, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb 9:22). Since the fall, blood has been the basis of man’s relationship with God—in terms of sin and forgiveness. Without the blood, there can be no access to God because there is no forgiveness of sin (cf. Eph 1:7; Rev 1:5).

This idea of “the blood of the covenant” is expanded in the New Testament. Hebrews 9 provides a glorious description of this idea. We see confirmation that Jesus ushered in a new covenant through the shedding of His blood. This new covenant is also seen specifically in regard to the Lord’s Supper (Matt 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25; Heb 9:20; 10:29; 12:24; 13:20).

When you consider the confirmation of God’s covenant, are you determined to obey the word of God? When Moses told the people the words and laws of the Lord, they responded twice in unity, “We will do and obey everything that the Lord has commanded.” Are you resolved to obey God no matter the circumstances, by His grace, for His glory?

The truth is we all, like Israel, fail to obey. But when this happens, we must look to the One who did obey perfectly, the One who provides us with His righteousness. Jesus Christ—the radiance of God’s glory, Who holds the universe by His power—shed His own blood for you.

Perhaps you have heard the phrase in corporate worship, “The blood of Christ, shed for you.” What a powerful statement and reminder of the work of the Lord Jesus. Do you dwell on this truth? Do you cherish the fact that Christ poured out His blood for you? He ushered in a new covenant, sealed with His own blood. This gives us reason to celebrate with joy inexpressible, for our King has paid our ransom. This moves us to humble obedience for the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Some of you reading this undoubtedly do not know this 161Jesus and His provision of grace. How I pray that you will rest in the work of Jesus today!

Exodus 24:9-18

Seventy-four people ascended Mount Sinai to represent all Israel in the covenant meal. Can you imagine this scene? Do you get nervous when you eat a meal with someone important? Imagine dining with God on His mountain! Verses 10-11 tell us that they saw God. What does this mean? What did they actually see? They probably saw some sort of general shape that He allowed them to see vaguely. Ezekiel and Amos had similar visions (Ezek 1:26-28; Amos 7:7). Quite possibly they saw God from below since the description we have is of His feet and the pavement. It is also possible this was a vision of the pre-incarnate Christ. No matter what conclusion you arrive at, we know that “no one can see [God] and live” (Exod 33:20).

God did not raise His hand against these leaders; they did not die after seeing Him (v. 11). There are two likely reasons. First, they did not see God fully, but only a vague or partial vision of Him. Second, God deliberately chose not to “send His hand” (divine judgment through a display of supernatural power) against them. It was not God’s intention to punish them. This meeting and meal was part of His plan. They had an invitation! But why did God show Himself, albeit only vaguely and partially? It was so that Israel would understand He was a willing party to the covenant. They would remember that they agreed to the keep His covenant in His actual, unmistakable presence.

God gave them a glimpse of His majesty. They ate and drank in His presence. It just keeps getting better! If getting a glimpse of God was not enough, they were given a further privilege—to share a meal with Him. Sharing a meal was a symbolic act of friendship. It showed that they had fellowship (communion) with God.

We should remember the importance of sharing a meal. Whether it is with your small group, your church, a few friends, your family, your neighbors, or your coworkers, the table is a big deal. You do the work of and follow the example of God. Later, Jesus earned the reputation of being a “glutton and a drunkard” (Luke 7:34; cf. 14:12-14; 15:1-2) because of His pattern of using the table as a place to express fellowship with others and to live out the mission of reaching sinners. Use162 your meals for the good of others and the glory of God! And remember, there is another meal coming. Look forward to the “marriage feast of the Lamb” (Rev 19:9). Believers will dine with the risen Jesus.

In the meantime, God has given us a special meal to remind us we belong to Him by covenant. Some call this meal the Lord’s Supper. At the congregation where I serve as a pastor, we enjoy it every week. Every week we remember the sacrifice of Jesus and we look forward to the wedding supper of the Lamb.

In verse 12 God spoke to Moses individually: “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to Me on the mountain and stay there so that I may give you the stone tablets with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.’” Moses received these tablets in writing, a sign of an authenticated covenant.

Verses 15-18 tell us more of Moses’ experience with God in His glory cloud. The cloud reminds us of chapters 13-14. There we read of the pillar of cloud that appeared during the day and the pillar of fire that appeared at night to guide the Israelites. The cloud had already served as a protection and guide for the Israelites in their flight from the Egyptians. This current manifestation only confirmed that the cloud represented God’s glorious presence: awesome, multifaceted, partly mysterious, but also protective and encompassing.

Now we must ask, “What about us?” Remember, this was a big worship service, and like Moses and the Israelites, we are invited to participate. This is the story of their salvation and in a sense ours, too. Like the Israelites, God calls us to worship Him and speaks to us by His Word. Like the Israelites, we are separated from God because of our sin and therefore have to keep our distance. But then God, in His grace, provided a sacrifice of atonement through the blood of His covenant. For the Israelites it was the blood of an animal; for us it is the blood of Jesus. Once our sins have been forgiven, we can enjoy fellowship with God. We can sit down and enjoy His banquet. Now we do it through the Lord’s Supper; later in Heaven we will enjoy the meal at His table.